Chương 21

Sid's hand grasped the collar of Fritz's increasingly ragged shirt and pulled him up, choking him in the process as Fritz was dragged to his feet.

"What are you grinning at you bloody fool! Get up we have to get out of here," Sid growled. Fritz was h oisted up unstead ily to his feet. He fe lt embarrassment that bordered on shame that he had suspected Sid would turn on him. Not everyone is like Toby and Jane I guess. Fritz dusted himself off hiding his surprised expression by turning and searching for his fish blade. He didn't want Sid to read what he had been suspecting about the whole 'Sid might murder me thing.'

Spotting his treasured weapon, he gingerly walked over to its resting place and scooped it up fondly, it rang softly as it scraped against the stone.

"Hark. Gladly doth the indomitable Quicksilver return to its gallant master!" Fritz exclaimed like he was acting on a stage and holding the sword aloft in an exaggerated pose of triumph. Doing his best to imitate a statue of Far'Zael the Just. Another sigh from Sid, returned Fritz to reality and the two corpses that lay at his feet, both of which he had killed himself. The weight of the realisation threatened to bring Fritz to his knees but he pushed it away. Later. He told himself.

Suddenly remembering why he had even fought Steve, he wildly searched for the cursed bone dagger, finding it lying by the side of Steve's lifeless corpse, right by his caved-in face. Fritz's stomach lurched, then he lost his last meal, throwing up into a particularly convenient fissure. I did that? With my bare hands? He shuddered in horror, a sudden fear of his own anger. I did, what I had to, he would've gone after my brother and sister. That was a lie he knew, in retrospect Steve had said brothers and sisters.

Plural. which meant he had no real clue about his family's whereabouts. He could have gone after them though, once he got out. He reasoned, shifting the blame. Fritz gathered his courage and grabbed the dagger off of the stone, determinedly not looking at the remains of Steve's skull. With the bone dagger in hand feeling a small tingle of something. Magic? He held the dagger in his palm, then out of his eye he spotted Greg's black helm, discarded in a crater.

The sight sent a pang of grief bouncing in his gut, he stole away Steve's bag and placed the helm inside, so he didn't have to look at it. Maybe it can be sold on the outside or something.

"You done over there? What's the move, Fritz?" Sid called out, he had finished collecting anything of use from the bodies and stood there in Steve's, well now Sid's, gleaming silver breastplate.

"Why do you get the breastplate exactly?" Fritz griped, tucking the dagger safely into his belt.

"The oldest law," Sid intoned solemnly then lit up with a smile, "Finders keepers." Then he poked his tongue out at him childishly. Fritz couldn't help but laugh, Sid had been really starting to grow on him these past couple of days. Maybe it was all the battles they had fought together but Fritz felt closer to Sid than ever. At this rate we might even become friends.

"Very well, I suppose it's too gaudy for me anyway," Fritz jibed back returning a similarly childish tongue poke.

"Too gaudy for 'the Fritz'? I don't believe such a thing exists," Sid responded with a small snort.

"Anyway I have to get back to Bert," Fritz explained, getting ready for the trek ahead and testing out his bandaged arm.

"Thanks for the healing by the way. You really saved me back there."

"Well you helped save the girls, I owed you one too. Let's go see how Bert's doing," Sid motioned for Fritz to lead the way, which he supposed he should with his abilities lending so much efficiency to travelling over the rough ground.

"I made a promise, of course I would help, they're only here because of me in the first place. How could I go against my word?" Fritz said falsely cheerful as if it weren't a desperate decision he made in self-righteous anger. He began to jog to where he thought Bert lay, picking out the pillars he specifically remembered to lead the way back.

"Easily," Sid said darkly in response. They ran in silence save for their ragged breathing, they were tired but the end seemed to be in sight so they pushed on. Just need to decide who's left behind and dies, Fritz ruminated as dread filled his body more with every step closer to Bert. It wasn't Bert they ran into first of course, there was a shout of joy from Naomi as she spotted Fritz and Sid running towards them over the uneven stone.

Veronica and Lynn turned to where the woman was pointing then Naomi waved them over excitedly. It rankled Fritz to delay his return to Bert but he grinned and bore it, a couple of thanks from pretty damsels wouldn't slow him down too much. It was a small detour but Fritz made for them.

"Did you catch them," Naomi blurted out, flicking her hair's green streak out of her face and smiling widely at Fritz and Sid.

"Yes, got the dagger too," Fritz replied, as the women gathered standing around them.

"Dagger? What dagger?" Asked Veronica quizzically.

"The cursed one, that Steve stabbed Bert with, it was stopping his healing," Fritz explained surprised they didn't know.

"Oh! Really? I thought you were going after Steve for revenge. When I saw you alone I assumed… I thought that Bert had… you know.." Veronica trailed off sheepishly, fussing at her short tunic.

"Died? No, he's just over there," Fritz pointed to his closest approximation of where Bert was "I better see if the dagger can be deactivated or something, then I'll get him to his feet and we can meet at the Doors." Fritz said without much hope that they'd actually stay, not that he blamed them of course. Well, maybe a little. He saw their strained smiles and furtive glances, well, except Lynn. She just looked at him dead on and nodded, a knowing look in her burgundy eyes.

Fritz knew they were planning to leave as soon as they could from those reactions alone. Fritz sighed inwardly, he knew in their place he would secure the way out and take it, there was no other choice, no need to begrudge them for their desire to live. They were there because he asked them to keep climbing. It was at Sid's request sure, but he still made the choice. And if there was one thing you learned in the Spires it's the consequence of choice. Fritz sighed outwardly this time, "Let's be honest then.

You ladies take the Doors if they're open, no use waiting around for me and Bert." Naomi winced, Veronica looked away hiding tears and Lynn nodded, then gave Fritz a genial slap on the shoulder.

"Mighty noble of you, Fritz. You know what, no matter what people say about you, you're all right in my book," Lynn said her deep tone approaching some warmth. Fritz frowned at the compliment, wondering what people said of him, but stayed quiet which caused Lynn to guffaw. He turned to Sid, who looked awkwardly from the ladies and Fritz as if making up his mind about something.

"Fritz, I know this ain't fair, but it just is. I'm going with them, I uh, I can't risk it, Fritz, not after how far we've come," Sid explained hoarsely as if holding back tears. Fritz had felt this was coming but he still felt it was like a betrayal. Was it as bad as Toby and Jane's? Not really, as he didn't know Sid all that long or well for that matter. Still, they had been growing closer or at least he hoped so.

"I understand," Fritz said dejectedly. Trying to push some hope into his tone he asked, "If I don't make it. On the outside, I have a brother and a sister. Could you look out for them?" Naomi broke into tears, Lynn's friendly smile dropped off of her face. Sid and Veronica looked stricken but resolute, with tightly balled fists and more tightly controlled expressions.

"Where can we find them? What are their names?" Sid asked, staring at Fritz as if he were going to etch their names into h is memory.

"They'll be in the Guide Guild's sponsored orphanage, Guild Hall for the Fallen's Fledglings, their names are Amathea and Elliot Hightide," Fritz said exposing one of his secrets, one of his vulnerabilities. He didn't like it, but apart from Bert, these people were the only ones he trusted in this world, and maybe just maybe they could help his family in his stead. It was the least he could do for them, he consoled himself.

"Wait you're really nobility?!" Sid exclaimed mouth agape.

"Hightide, really?"

"Was, and it was a minor house, gone now, it d ied with my mother," Fritz explained uneasily, fidgeting where he stood as they stared in disbelief. He hoped the newly shed light on his past wouldn't colour their view of him." That's not important anymore, I'd just like someone looking out for them in case they get into any trouble and end up on the streets, like me," Fritz continued trying to stay on topic.

"They probably won't, they're good kids, but you never know." This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it"And why exactly were you slumming it in the gutters instead of taking it easy in an orphanage in the Upper Ring?" Sid demanded perplexed.

"I uh, again, it's not important. But I hurt someone. I hurt them bad," Fritz's statement was met with arched eyebrows.

"They were cruel to my siblings and the other orphans you see, and uh yeah, one thing led to another-," Fritz bumbled out not really thinking about or embellishing the tale as it was part of his past he hadn't told anyone but Bert and hadn't expected to tell anyone else. Veronica held up a hand cutting him off, "Enough, we get the picture." Sid sighed shaking his head.

"I'll do what I can, Fritz."

"So will I," Naomi croaked out through her sobbing and surprising Fritz with a tight hug. Something he hadn't experienced in some time. It warmed his heavy heart somewhat and reinforced his decision to stay. Not that he could ever leave Bert behind. Veronica nodded as did Lynn who seemed to look at him with some strange mixture of respect and pity.

"If there's nothing else, I better get to Bert," Fritz said awkwardly, again fidgeting, needing to be away from them. Naomi let him out of her embrace and he waved them goodbye as he turned, "Thanks. I'll uh... see you ladies later." He gave them his most bittersweet smile, he knew he would never see them again, he knew he would probably die here with Bert. But if that was the way it had to be then he would meet Bert again with a smile.

He ran over the stony ground, past pillars and leapt over fissures, looking for the place they had left Bert. How long had it been? It felt like an hour running from one fight to another, but really it had probably only been half of that. Would Bert be okay? Or will I get there and find Bert a corpse? Is there even a point? There are going to be no Doors left. Why did I stay? I should have left, run away, I should've abandoned everyone and climbed by myself.

His thoughts raced, blaming himself, the Spire and everyone else besides, but it was already too late, he had made his choice and railing against that was a fruitless endeavour. He cursed the unfairness, the Spire, the Gods and Guilds. He ran until he had made it back to Bert's side, there he was, just as he'd left him. The slight breeze carried the scent of fresh blood, its coppery tang nearly making Fritz retch again. Was Bert still breathing?

Fritz stooped over Bert's still form looking at his too-pale skin, then he heard a whistle of breath, slight but steady. He sighed in relief, not dead then, just resting. He was no medic so he left the bandages as they were, thinking he'd only do more harm than good if he disturbed the ugly stab wounds. He fumbled for the dagger, held it in his hand and gripped its handle tightly.

He could feel it s magic so he tried to Activate it, to will it, commanding it with every fibre of his being to release Bert's wounds from its cruel power. He felt a small tingle that turned into a sharp pang in the muscles of his hand. Then nothing. H e didn't have to check Bert to know that it had failed. Destroy it then. He decided instantly, searching for something to break the curved bone blade. Spotting his shield he looked for a place to put the dagger to stop it from skittering away when he struck it.

He slapped himself on the forehead when he blearily remembered his Stone Pit Ability. He cast his spell, the stone shifting before him and feeling the stamina drain out from his body, I'll have to get some rest soon before I collapse, his tired mind complained. He was about to gently place the dagger in the hole when he reminded himself it was meant to be destroyed and just threw it in haphazardly. Fritz seized the shield, sat in front of the dagger in its hole and slammed its edge down onto the dagger.

It was unbroken, in fact, it was completely unharmed from what he could see. Fritz slammed down the shield again and again, using all his might to bring the iron banded wood down over and over on the cursed blade like he was using some kind of brutal mortar and pestle. For minutes he grunted smashed and rained blows upon the terrible object until he fell back gasping for breath. The blade was unmarred, not even a scratch or notch could be seen in its pale bone surface.

Tears of frustration poured down his face, he sobbed at his powerlessness to harm the damned dagger. Unable to hold it in much longer he screamed in rage hefting the shield aside to clatter uselessly on the stone. Its iron edge dented and the wood maimed by Fritz's reckless bashing.

"Why are you yelling!?" Bert burst out, as he eased himself onto his side with a grunt of pain.

"I was dreaming the most wonderful dream, and now you've ruined it." Fritz looked away from Bert, as the man's amber eyes coloured into worry from anger.

"What's wrong, Fritz?" He asked.

"The dagger, its curse, it won't go away, it won't deactivate," Fritz confessed staring at the blade with hate.

"Well it's not the end of the floor, there maybe-" Bert began to say as thunder seemed to strike again. Bert covered his ears and Fritz counted the number of overwhelming thuds of the slamming Doors. He looked over the plains and could see each of those green-blue lights like twinkling stars go out as each Door slammed shut. One, two, three, four. The sounds echoed through the pillars and off the walls until, suddenly, silence. That was it, no escape now.

Fritz felt despair overtake him, pulling him down, making it feel as though he couldn't move from the floor. Even the light seemed to be disappearing from his vision as he clutched his knees tightly to his chest. I will die here, all alone.

"Fritz, are you okay?" Bert's voice whispered. Not alone.

"No, the Doors are shut, the climb ends here and worst of all. Bert, you're dying," Fritz responded desperately wishing what he was saying wasn't true but his heart full of the dread conviction that it was.

"I'm not dead yet," Bert chided indignantly.

"So six doors, do you know who got out?"

"Not exactly," Fritz admitted into his knees the dark feeling heavier than ever.

"Toby and Jane most likely, then, from what I could tell from them all going off at once it must have been the ladies: Veronica, Naomi, Lynn and probably Sid."

"Well if I don't get to climb I guess they're the people I'd choose to go on instead," Bert said seemingly resigned to his fate.

"What about Greg?" Fritz stiffened at the question, not knowing how to answer in the moment, after some silence Bert seemed to get the gist though.

"A shame really, he wasn't the easiest to get along with, but he was loyal. And could sometimes be a great laugh," Bert eulogised weakly. Fritz merely shrugged from his huddled position. Unable to bring himself to say anything about Greg, the man whose last words to him had been 'piss off would you'. He'd never get to set the record straight, Greg was right about him in the end. Selfish. Even now wallowing in self-pity when Bert needed him.

He was suddenly very aware of his blood soaked, and cut to pieces, leather vest. He stripped it off in disgust and threw it as far as he could away from himself.

"I can't see very well, Fritz, the darkness is creeping in on me. You must be right about me dying," Bert continued exhausted. Wait it's not just me? Fritz popped his head up, looked up and around, it was getting darker and the reason seemed to be that the pyramid had been steadily getting duller since the Doors had closed.

"No it's not just you Bert, my friend, the pyramid is going out," Fritz relayed as the pyramid's light rapidly dwindled away.

"Great. We get to die in the dark," Fritz groused.

"At least it's not raining. We're going to die dry, that's something," Bert said determined to not even let death break his mad optimism. Fritz shook his head, but smiled all the same, "You're right, plus it looks like we were left some of the glowing amber," He got to his feet and trotted over to his and Bert's bags, the shimmering of that swirling light subtly leaking through the fabric.

He opened his own bag pushed aside the waxpaper package that held the quicksilver swordfish's eyes and retrieved his glowing amber and some of the leftover smoked monster meat. Might as well eat, not like rationing will do any good. Meandering over to Bert he plopped the stone on his chest to give his friend some light, then sat taking his place beside him. They watched the darkness get ever darker, the quiet broken by the sound of them chewing on the metallic flesh of the horrible fish.

Eventually, the darkness became absolute and they were as a shimmering orange island in the void, one small stretch of something in a seemingly endless expanse of nothing.

"You know I thought my death would be more exciting," Bert confessed almost cheerfully, "This is boring." Fritz couldn't help but laugh at the remark, but in his soul, he agreed. There was something not quite right about this scenario. He looked away from his friend's infectious grin and out into the black. And saw something not black, a faint lavender luminescence caught in his rapidly adjusting eyes. Fritz scrambled to his feet, causing Bert to startle at his sudden movement.

"I see something, one moment, Bert, I'm going to scout it out, stay put would you?" Fritz blurted out hastily not daring to hope yet. He barely waited for a response as he dug through Bert's pack for another of the amber stones to light his way, seizing it and feeling its strange warmness.

"Not like I have a choice. Don't die out there," Bert grumbled, worriedly watching Fritz stride off into the dark.